Sydney Opera House is probably one of the most famous buildings in the world and arguably one of the biggest icons of the city and Australia itself. It hosts Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company led by Cate Blanchett and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, to which must be added a multitude of international artistic productions. But do not summarize the cultural and artistic scene of Sydney by its opera only. Because Sydney is a city of entertainment that hosts international sporting events (Olympics, Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, International tennis, etc.), renowned festivals (Vivid Sydney) or art exhibitions just to name a few. To appreciate how vibrant Sydney city is in winter, iPhoneography Oz was able to attend in the space of a few days three main events:

• Dappled Cities new album launch party at Oxford Art Factory, a venue inspired by Andy Warhol's Factory in New York;
• Simple Plan concert given as part of the international tour group at Hordern Pavilion, theater located in a huge park close to the stadium where Sydney FC evolves;
• The performance of DJ Shivers at Spice Cellar, an underground lounge bar located in Sydney CBD.

The writers were guests of Destination NSW.

We had the pleasure of experiencing Vivid Sydney, the annual Festival of Light, Music and Ideas. It is the biggest festival of its kind in the southern hemisphere attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. After sunset the city takes on a spectacular transformation through colour, light projections, interactive installations, music and innovative ideas. See how loud you can scream at the Screaming Rapture installation or play a game of tic tac toe on the biggest digital board you have ever seen! And of course one of our favourites is watching the incredible precision of the creative 3D digital light projections onto the Sydney Opera House itself, see it like you have never seen it before! It is a hive of activity, creativity and entertainment, the whole of Circular Quay is absolutely buzzing with excitement. There is so much to see and do at Vivid Sydney that attending this festival is among many of the reasons to visit Sydney in winter.

The writers were guests of Destination NSW.

If you have read our recent post about Melbourne, you already know that Melbourne is a great city. The culture of Melbourne occupies a leading role and most activities are free. Here are our favorite cultural places so far:

• State Library of Victoria: more than 1,5 million books and 16,000 periodicals. The architecture of La Trobe Reading Room and its dome is awesome;
• Australian Centre for the Moving Image: immersion in the world of film, television and digital culture. Screen Worlds, the permanent exhibition brings together rare archive footage, fascinating objects and interactive amazing displays.

Many art galleries, museums and theaters. Many cultural events and concerts as well. But Melbourne is also a place of choice for street art. Lonely Planet also places them as a must see. We love getting lost in the Central Business District walking through Melbourne's laneways in search of graffiti. We also love coming across impromptu concerts on the sidewalks (photo).

To further explore street art in Melbourne, visit The Complete Series gallery on iPhoneography Oz's facebook page.

This photo is part of the Weekend Hashtag Project, a series featuring designated themes & hashtags chosen every week by Instagram’s Community Team. The theme of the week is: #socialtravel.